Privacy Online

The House is expected to vote soon on the USA Freedom Act. If passed, the bill would impose several new restrictions for surveillance operations, including limits on the NSA’s ability to collect phone records of US citizens. The bill would also create a special office to advocate for the public in front of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Read Congress’ full summary here.)

Both Republicans and Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have laudedthe bill as an important next step in checking the nation’s surveillance powers. But others have raisedquestions. How far would this bill really go to protect your privacy online?

To answer all things online security, reporters Jeff Larson and Julia Angwin will be hosting a Reddit IAmA chat on Wednesday at 1 pm ET. In partnership with The Guardian and The New York Times, Jeff helped discover the NSA’s efforts to crack encryption methods and undermine Internet security. Julia tried a slew of strategies for protecting her privacy while researching and writing her latest book, Dragnet Nation.